Effect of Kinetic Control Retraining on Electromyographic Activity of Trunk Muscles in Patients with Lumbosacral Radiculopathy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether adding kinetic control retraining to conventional physical therapy improves trunk muscle electromyographic (EMG) activity, pain, and disability in patients with lumbosacral radiculopathy in a randomized controlled trial. METHODS: Fifty patients (35-50 years) were randomly assigned to a study group (kinetic control plus conventional therapy) and an active control group (conventional therapy) for six weeks. EMG activity of transversus abdominis (TA), erector spinae (ES) and superficial multifidus (MF) was assessed during trunk flexion/extension as root mean square (RMS) normalized to maximum voluntary isometric contraction (%MVIC). Pain and disability were assessed using Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Outcomes were assessed by a blinded assessor who was unaware of group allocation at baseline and post-intervention. RESULTS: Both groups showed improvements (p < 0.05). However, the study group showed greater reductions in ES and MF activity, VAS, and ODI, and increased TA activation compared with controls, suggesting clinical improvement. No adverse events. CONCLUSION: In patients with lumbosacral radiculopathy, adding kinetic control retraining to conventional physical therapy was associated with greater short-term improvements in trunk muscle activation patterns, pain, and disability than conventional physical therapy alone. However, these findings do not isolate the independent effect of kinetic control retraining. CLINICALTRIALS: gov ID: NCT07079202.